Posted on 15th Nov 2011 @ 3:28 AM

Five-time champ coming to grips with disappointment of no confetti at Homestead

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- It was here at Phoenix International Raceway last season where Jimmie Johnson somehow saved his run of championships, stretching a fuel run to the finish and keeping close enough to Denny Hamlin that he could overtake him in the finale the next week. The five-time champion needed an ever bigger miracle Sunday, as his unprecedented streak of five consecutive titles neared its last gasp.

He didn't get it. Johnson finished a mediocre 14th on what had traditionally been one of his better tracks, and fell 68 points behind leader Carl Edwards with only next week's season-ender at Homestead-Miami Speedway remaining. In the process, he was eliminated from contention for this year's championship, and the most dominant run the sport has ever seen came to a somewhat unceremonious end.

Click here to read the entire artile on Nascar.com.